Smallwood Store

Collier County Code Enforcement staff cited the historic Chokoloskee Island store – open since 1906 and listed on the national register since 1974 – for putting up an off-premise sign.

Greg Griffin of Florida-Georgia Grove LLP and Doug Hendley, chief of security for Collier County, stand outside a locked fence to the Ted Smallwood's Store on Friday. Griffin's compnany tore up the street leading to the property and put up the locked fence as access to the store was through the company's property. The action was taken to force approval of a permit request to develop a marina river basin on the property. The company had learned that a permit request recommendation by the Army Corps of Engineers was to deny the permit because access to the store would become a problem. The permit sought another access on Smallwood property.

Gary McMillin of Ted Smallwood's Store and Greg Griffin of Florida-Georgia Grove LLP, still shared a smile on Friday, even though they are on opposite sides of a permit issue that has cut off the main access to the Smallwood Store.

Lynn McMillin, granddaughter of the founder of Ted Smallwood's Store, talks of her shock when she found the chain-linked fence closing Mamie Street as the access to the store in Chokoloskee.

The blacktop rubble is all that is left of Mamie Street, the entry way to the historic Smallwood Store in Chokoloskee. When the developer, Florida-Georgia Grove LLP, learned that a requested permit for an alternate entrance to the store was going to be turned down, the developer went ahead and tore up Mamie Street, which was on its property, trying to now force the Corps to accept the alternate entry way that would not be on the company's property, nor slow construction of a new marina basin.

Ted Smallwood's Store, established in 1906, serves as a time capsule of Florida pioneer history in Chokoloskee..

"Is this it?," was Collier County Commissioner Jim Coletta's response when he was shown the only access to the historical Smallwood Store in Chokoloskee on Friday. Coletta went down from Naples to investigate why there was no longer a street accessing the store. He also looked in wonderment as to how long it would take to get a proper road access in as the original, Mamie Street, was destroyed by the owner of the property where the access had been for more than 70 years. The owner destroyed the road way to force the U.S. Army Corps of engineers to accept the dirt road as a new aqcess point so that the company could be allowed to put in a new marina basin. The owner said the company will pay to have the new street put in for the Smallwood Store.

Smallwood's Store opened in 1906. The store was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Courtesy of the Marco Island Historical Society

The interior of Smallwood's Store. Courtesy of the Marco Island Historical Society

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Smallwood's Store. Courtesy of the Marco Island Historical Society

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Smallwood's Store opened in 1906. The store was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Courtesy of the Marco Island Historical Society

Smallwood's Store opened in 1906. The store was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Photo by James Guinan

Photo by James Guinan

Smallwood's Store opened in 1906. The store was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Photo by James Guinan

Photo by James Guinan

Smallwood's Store opened in 1906. The store was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Photo by James Guinan

Photo by James Guinan

Smallwood's Store opened in 1906. The store was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Photo by James Guinan

Photo by James Guinan

Smallwood's Store opened in 1906. The store was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Photo by James Guinan